Universal joint



G. w. VAN DEREN UNIVERSAL Joni'r Filed Nov. 1, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedNov. 25, 1930 f. n l i n i i n i flhisii'ivention I'GlttQSdlQ universal joints I l-adjacent its oiiter 01""s n :iit ei'lgeging end is o and has for an important ect thereofxthe exterioi ly;redueed toprovides shoulder 17 Production of; aiuniverselxjoint which will f01 epu1po se pnesciitly toeppeziifl I i give a smooth positive drive enclowhicl i will The bodyle hasjet its inner end an on provideQa deqne-te compensations forflboth lengement'14;Whichisfiformed-With cil cnnlangular" and longitudinal displicen ent of ferentially' spacetlopen'ings 18 which par-j the driying and drivenzelements. n a1le1 the axis ofthe body and the shaft 10 n A .fnrtherobjectof the inventionis to m and are lect-zingnlar in cross section. The videme ns forhousing; theunivfszil joint exterionof-tlie hody ztt theflenlargement n 10 whereby an oil tight casing therefor may 'formed'with eircuniiferentiallyspaced 110111 be verymeedily provided hile still perders19 throughfwhioh tiiej outei ends of the initting both, angular and longitndinaldisopenings 18 open andthese 'shonlders perplacement of the driving and driven ole-form a functionwhich'will hereinafter apv ments. i i jpeer. The innerfzicejlof th'eenlergcment is A furtheriohject ofthe invention isto piiojproyided adj e'cent its peripheify with a groove vide a device ofthis chei'actentvhich maybe 2Qj'whieh increases indepth toward the'center -eadilyendcheaply producechwhich will jor 'axisof thebody'. n

i I durable and etficientlin service and as genernl splined to the sheftllis a shank 21 cirimprovement inthe art. I 'cular' in cross section and hevinget its inner 29 ,These; and other objects 11 atteinhj l'the "ends heedj22. [TheheadQQis fOrmed in two constructiong shownlin the 1 acoonipenying l section s 23 and of which the section 23 drawings, wherein fortheipnrposeiof illus is integral with the,shankfll'frnd'the section trationis shop a preferred einioodiinentfof Qikis secured" to the section 22 by bolts25.

my'inyention and wherein The sections 23andBentcircinnfel enti'elly [Figure "1 "sfa vertic'zil seetionai view spe ced "points efe provided.withjopenings, 7 through a universal joint constructed in the inner ends of which combine to provide accordenoewithiny inventio'nf r asocket'26 receiving and fittingithe spherical Figure 2 is e section onctheline 22o'f heads 27 of driveconneetors,genenaily desigi FigUrefFIy;

n p v t o pjarallelendspaceciepeifte distance snbsteln n i 1 'gureiiis. a side elevation pai'tia11ydia f tially equal to. the spacebetween opposed n n o gi ainmnticshowing the positions essilmedby side f c fsiof tlle LopeningsIS of theenlarge the sectionsf of th-joint'npon angular dis-jinent lei The inner and "outer faces of the placement iofi the'exis thereof; shanks are iprovide dcenti elly with peeks29 8 I" i @Refe rri now "more ipai ticnlairl y fto the andi fi oni these 1 fipjeaks convefge toward the gamwin s," thefiininiei els liiland llflindicztte jenclof shanlieiidthewheed; The extreme v fishaftsfto he i'conneeted nncl each havinge {width of tlie shatnkyat-{thepeakslis slightly spline extensionlfl ,The nunie'i el 'l cl'esiglessthanthe dep'thofthe openings 18. f t i netes bod-y, havin an 3Xiitlb016115, the' It willqbef obvionsthet during-rotation of o o i onteifend ofjwhichis: formed asa spline for{gtheshafts lO endllwithont,fegzird to angnso thatjthe shift' l0 and boldyj 14; er elh'eld tmentfwillbecoinpensated for? hy' both Ion coaction With the spIineof the shaft 51031lei'idispljecenientof"theseifshaftsiwithinfrom" lnwarplly of the inner endfif the sp1ine,"the sohg'blfiihiits; drive: will betrz nsniittedi tq JiSen a g dfb t ir eei ti n' hei' d he v fl Or flr v shaf i i" he mb czipsforew wh V seats-upon the 285th: flatfe ces'of thefshankscoaeting Withf shoiil d :foi'meQ-by the rleiigeinent and has the sides of the openings to prevent ciicfur'n 1 its threaded shainlqengegediin e [threaded vferentiel displacement i of gthedrivinglen'du t bo ef rmed-myths lin 13,013 thefshaft 10, driven 'felements. Angular axial displace l 1 lation of the shanks in the openings 18, the spherical heads in their engagement with the head of the shank 21 permitting this movement. Due to the engagement of the shanks 28 in the openings 18 and particularly with the side walls thereof, there will be a tendency to maintain longitudinal alignment of the openings of the head 22 and of 'the'enl'a'rgement 14: and through this tendency, the head 22 will partake of actual transverse displacement which will be more obvious from an inspection of Figure 4. At this time, the perimetric edge of the inner face of the head 22 may enter the groove 20 and in so doing, will prevent excessive separation of the upper edges of the head 22 and enlargement 14. Due to the large side bearing faceprovided by the shanks, adequate wearing surface is provided to prevent rapid deterioration of the joint and to prevent looseness and noisy operation thereof.

In'order to provide a lubricating housing for the joint and to further provide means 7 for yieldably' maintaining the head 522 and enlargement 14 in engagement with one another, I provide a cylindrical case having conical ends 31. Upon the body 14 at the shoulder 17, I seat the inner face of a gasket element 32, the outer face 33 of which is arcuately curved. Slidable upon the shank 21 is a similar gasket element 34:. Between the gasket element 34; and the head 22 and surrounding the shank is a spring 35, the expansion of which tends to force the gasket 34 outwardly, thus moving the case longitudinally and insuring firm contact between the conical wall 31 at the opposite endof the faceand the gasket 32 which is immovable in the direction in which the case tends to shift. The'tension of this spring will maintain the spring between the case and gasket and will further assist in maintaining the head 22 in proper engagement with the enlargement 14 of the body 14. While frictional engagementof the ends of the body with these gaskets would, under normal circumstances, provide for rotation of thebody withthe 'oint in order to' insure against any accidental circumferential displacement, which would tend to cause wear upon the gaskets, and at thesame time provide a case construction which may be readily assembled, I form the case in two sections which are bolted together, as at 36. The bolts securing the sections together likewise secure to the face a ring element 37 having at its innerface circumferentially' spaced lugs 38 adapted to enter between the, lugs 19 to'provide a driving connection between the body l andthe case. Other means might, however, be resorted to to provide this connection. I r v Since the construction hereinbefore. set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention, I do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim '1. In a universal joint, a body having means whereby it may be secured to a shaft and having longitudinally extending openings adapted to parallel the axis of the shaft, a head having a shank whereby it may be concentrically secured to a second shaft against rotation with relation thereto and drive connectors having shanks engaged in radial to the axis of the body while prevent ing oscillation thereof at right angles to said plane.

2. In a universal oint, a'body having means whereby it may be secured to a shaft and having longitudinally extending openings adapted to parallel the axis of the shaft, a head having a shank whereby it may be concentrically secured to a second shaft against rotation with relation thereto and drive connectors having shanks engaged inthe openings of the body and spherical heads-engaged in sockets in said head, each shank having coaction with the walls of the opening in which it engages permitting oscillation there of in a plane intersecting the shank and radial to the axis of the body while preventing oscillation thereof at right angles to said plane, said head and body having flat faces confronting and engaging when the shafts connected therewith are co-axial, the body having a groove in its'flat confronting face receiving the perimetric edge of the face of the head when the shafts are disposed at anangle.

3. In a universal joint, a body having means whereby it may be secured to a shaft and having longitudinally extending openings adapted to parallel the axis of the shaft, a head having a shankwhereby it may be concentrically secured to a second shaft against rotation with relation thereto, drive connectors having shanks engaged in the openings of the body and spherical heads engaged in sockets in said head, each shank having coaction with the walls of the opening in which it engages permitting oscillation thereof in a plane intersecting the shank and radial to the axis of the body while preventing oscillation thereof at right angles to said plane, and spring means resisting separation of the head and body.

41 A universal joint comprising a body pro vided with openings arranged parallel to its axis, a head having spherical sockets alined 'with the openings,'and drive connectors having shanks slidably arranged in said openings and having spherical heads rockably arranged in said sockets, said shanks being provided at their inner and outer faces with central peaks and having said faces Converging toward the ends of the shanks and the heads,

and said peaks and ting theshanks planes.

converging faces permit to rock on t he body in radial In testimony whereof I he runtofaflix my signature.

GEORGE VAN DERENV 

